A brand new Comics fair is coming to Stanley Arts later this month. (Yes, I couldn’t resist making a font pun, as a title – us graphic designers are a geeky lot – not sure whether Comic Sans will actually make an appearance). Anyway, I digress… Yo Comics is a free comics and zine fair, for kids and by kids, and is founded by three comic enthusiasts and South-Londoners, artist and TV producer Hannah Lee Miller, educator Helen Jones, and artist and author Lauren O’Farrell. Our 7-year-old is well into comics these days, so we were intrigued to find out more, and grabbed Hannah for a chat.

Croydonist: Firstly how did you and the team become involved in comics?

Hannah: We’ve all independently found our way into comics. I grew up with a love of comics, my dyslexic father introduced me to them and I have never looked back. I create my own comics and zines and participate in grown up zine fairs but thought it’d be extra special to make one especially for kids. Helen works in education and runs comics clubs for children, as well as doing a PhD in children’s comics making. Lauren went from street art to comics in lockdown, but has always used her art to tell stories for all ages and has loved comics since she was tiny.

Croydonist: Why did you choose Croydon for your very first fair?

Hannah: I have been living in Croydon for 10 years now and I have grown very attached to its culture and community. We are lucky enough to have run other art events at Stanley Arts and this one just fell together naturally. We all live in South London and there’s a great comics community here.

Croydonist: What should readers expect when they come along?

Hannah: It’s going to be a massive celebration of children’s comics! Readers should expect to meet the creators that make their favourite comics, for example Neill Cameron, Tor Freeman, Marc Jackson and more! Attendees will also get to meet other kids who love comics and who all want to make their own. We want to encourage kids to share their cartoons and comic creations with each other. We will have a swap table for children to bring their own comics to exchange for another, plus the chance to take part in comics drawing! We have workshops (although these are currently sold out) at which kids can participate in a masterclass with a professional comics maker. Finally we will have an all ages comics library where you can sit, relax and pick up a comic to read!

Croydonist: What’s been the biggest challenge, organising a comic fair for kids?

Hannah: It’s been challenging to find local community groups who want to make comics with kids. However, we are very lucky to be joined by Kingsdale Community School, Kingswood Comics Club, The Hundred Club,53 Croydon Brownies and South Norwood Woodcraft Folk, who have taken part in workshops with us and made their own comics and zines to sell and swap at the fair. We hope this fair will encourage more kids comic groups to spring up and start creating their own stories.

Croydonist: And what’s been the biggest joy?

Hannah: The biggest joy has been watching it all come together, my favourite moment was the excitement the Croydon librarian got as I told her all about the event. It has been great to see how many comics makers want to be involved and the general buzz is really encouraging! And we’ve managed to keep it all free so it’s accessible for everyone.

Croydonist: What are you most looking forward to about the day?

Hannah: We’ve also got kid’s comics creators coming from all over the UK, so it’ll be great to see kids meet and learn from their comics heroes. We’re really looking forward to seeing the kids having a great time being wrapped up in creativity, learning, reading and cartoons!

Yo Comics takes place on Sunday 23 March 2025, 11am-5pm, at Stanley Arts, 12 South Norwood Hill, London SE25 6AB. Find out more on the Yo Comics instagram.

Images courtesy of Yo Comics – fair artwork is by Tor Freeman.

Posted by Julia